Saturn Astra (2008 year). Manual

Customer Assistance
Offices

Saturn encourages customers
to call the toll-free number for
assistance. If a customer wishes to
write to Saturn, the letter should
be addressed to:

Saturn Customer Assistance Center
100 Saturn Parkway
Mail Code 371-999-S24
Spring Hill, TN 37174-1500

1-800-553-6000
1-800-833-6000 (For Text
Telephone devices (TTYs))
Roadside Assistance:
1-800-553-6000

In Canada, write to:

Saturn Customer Communication
Centre
General Motors of Canada Ltd.
CA1-163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7

gmcanada.com
1-800-263-1999
1-800-263-3830 (For Text
Telephone devices (TTYs))
Roadside Assistance:
1-800-268-6800

GM Mobility
Reimbursement Program

This program, available to qualified
applicants, can reimburse you up to
$1,000 toward eligible aftermarket
driver or passenger adaptive
equipment you may require for
your vehicle such as hand controls,
wheelchair/scooter lifts, etc.

The offer is available for a limited
period of time from the date of
vehicle purchase/lease.

For more details, or to determine
your vehicle’s eligibility, visit
your Saturn retailer or call the
Saturn Customer Assistance Center
at 1-800-553-6000. Text telephone
(TTY) users, call 1-800-833-6000.

In Canada, customers may call the
Saturn Customer Communication
Centre at 1-800-263-1999.
TTY users in Canada may call
1-800-263-3830.

Roadside Assistance
Program

For vehicles purchased in the
U.S., call 1-800-553-6000; (Text
Telephone (TTY): 1-800-889-2438).

For vehicles purchased in Canada,
call 1-800-268-6800.

Service is available 24 hours a day,
365 days a year.

As the owner of a new Saturn
vehicle, you are automatically
enrolled in the Saturn Roadside
Assistance Program.

Customer Information

11-5

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Who is Covered?

Roadside Assistance coverage is for
the vehicle operator, regardless of
ownership. In Canada, a person
driving this vehicle without the
consent of the owner is not eligible
for coverage.

Services Provided

The following services are provided
in the U.S. and Canada up to
5 years/100,000 miles (160 000 km),
whichever comes first, and, in
Canada only, up to a maximum
of $100.

•

Fuel Delivery: Delivery of enough
fuel for the vehicle to get to
the nearest service station
(approximately $5 Canada).
In Canada, service to provide
diesel may be restricted. For
safety reasons, propane and
other alternative fuels are not
provided through this service.

•

Lock-Out Service: Lock-out
service is covered at no charge if
you are unable to gain entry into
your vehicle. A remote unlock
may be available if you have an
active OnStar

subscription.

To ensure security, the driver
must present personal
identification before lock-out
service is provided. In Canada,
the vehicle registration is also
required.

•

Emergency Tow From a Public
Roadway or Highway: Tow to
the nearest Saturn retailer for
warranty service or in the event
of a vehicle-disabling crash.
Winch-out assistance is provided
when the vehicle is mired in sand,
mud, or snow.

•

Flat Tire Change: Installation of a
spare tire in good condition, when
equipped and properly inflated,
is covered at no charge.

The customer is responsible for
the repair or replacement of the
tire if not covered by a
warrantable failure.

•

Jump Start: A battery jump start
is covered at no charge if the
vehicle does not start.

•

Trip Routing Service (Canada
Only): Upon request, Roadside
Assistance will send you detailed,
computer personalized maps,
highlighting your choice of either
the most direct route or the most
scenic route to your destination,
anywhere in North America, along
with helpful travel information
pertaining to your trip.

Please allow three weeks before
your planned departure date.
Trip routing requests are limited
to six per calendar year.

11-6

Customer Information

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

•

Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance (Canada Only): In
the event of a warranty related
vehicle disablement, while en
route and over 250 kilometres
from the original point of
departure, you might qualify
for trip interruption expense
assistance. This assistance
covers reasonable reimbursement
of up to a maximum of $500
(Canadian) for (A) meals
(maximum of $50/day), (B)
lodging (maximum of $100/night),
and (C) alternate ground
transportation (maximum of
$40/day). This benefit is to assist
you with some of the unplanned
expense you may incur while
waiting for your vehicle to be
repaired.

Pre-authorization, original
detailed receipts, and a copy of
the repair order are required.

Once authorization has been
given, your advisor will help
you make any necessary
arrangements and explain how
to claim for trip interruption
expense assistance.

•

Alternative Service (Canada
Only): There could be times
when Roadside Assistance
cannot provide timely assistance.
Your advisor may authorize
you to secure local emergency
road service, and you will be
reimbursed up to $100 upon
submission of the original receipt
to Roadside Assistance.

In many instances, mechanical
failures may be covered. However,
any cost for parts and labor for
non-warranty repairs are the
responsibility of the driver.

Saturn and General Motors of
Canada Limited reserve the right to
limit services or reimbursement to an

owner or driver when, in their sole
discretion, the claims become
excessive in frequency or type of
occurrence.

Calling for Assistance

For prompt and efficient assistance
when calling, please provide the
following to the Roadside Assistance
Representatives:

•

Your name, home address, and
home telephone number

•

Telephone number of your
location

•

Location of the vehicle

•

Model, year, color, and license
plate number of the vehicle

•

Odometer reading, Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN) and
delivery date of the vehicle

•

Description of the problem

Customer Information

11-7

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Towing and Road Service
Exclusions

Specifically excluded from Roadside
Assistance coverage are towing
or services for vehicles operated on
a non-public roadway or highway,
fines, impound towing caused
by a violation of local, Municipal,
State, Provincial or Federal law, and
mounting, dismounting or changing
of snow tires, chains, or other
traction devices.

Roadside Assistance is not part
of or included in the coverage
provided by the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty. Saturn and General
Motors of Canada Limited reserve
the right to make any changes or
discontinue the Roadside Assistance
program at any time without
notification.

Scheduling Service
Appointments

When your vehicle requires warranty
service, contact your dealer/retailer
and request an appointment. By
scheduling a service appointment
and advising your service consultant
of your transportation needs, your
dealer/retailer can help minimize
your inconvenience.

If your vehicle cannot be scheduled
into the service department
immediately, keep driving it until
it can be scheduled for service,
unless, of course, the problem is
safety-related. If it is, please call your
dealership/retailer, let them know
this, and ask for instructions.

If the dealer/retailer requests you to
bring the vehicle for service, you
are urged to do so as early in
the work day as possible to allow
for the same day repair.

Courtesy Transportation

To enhance your ownership
experience, we and our participating
retailers are proud to offer Courtesy
Transportation, a customer support
program for vehicles with the Bumper
to Bumper (Base Warranty Coverage
period in Canada) and extended
powertrain warranty in both the U.S.
and Canada.

Several courtesy transportation
options are available to assist
in reducing your inconvenience
when warranty repairs are required.

Courtesy Transportation is not a
part of the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty. A separate booklet
entitled “Warranty and Owner
Assistance Information” furnished
with each new vehicle provides
detailed warranty coverage
information.

11-8

Customer Information

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transportation Options

Warranty service can generally
be completed while you wait.
However, if you are unable to wait,
Saturn helps to minimize your
inconvenience by providing several
transportation options. Depending on
the circumstances, your retailer can
offer you one of the following:

Shuttle Service

Shuttle service is the preferred
means of offering Courtesy
Transportation. Retailers may
provide you with shuttle service to
get you to your destination with
minimal interruption of your daily
schedule. This includes one-way or
round trip shuttle service within
reasonable time and distance
parameters of the retailer’s area.

Public Transportation or Fuel
Reimbursement

If your vehicle requires overnight
warranty repairs, and public
transportation is used instead of
the retailer’s shuttle service, the
expense must be supported by
original receipts and can only be up
to the maximum amount allowed by
Saturn for shuttle service. In addition,
for U.S. customers, should you
arrange transportation through
a friend or relative, limited
reimbursement for reasonable
fuel expenses may be available.
Claim amounts should reflect actual
costs and be supported by original
receipts. See your retailer for
information regarding the allowance
amounts for reimbursement of fuel
or other transportation costs.

Courtesy Rental Vehicle

Your retailer may arrange to provide
you with a courtesy rental vehicle or
reimburse you for a rental vehicle
that you obtain if your vehicle is kept
for an overnight warranty repair.
Rental reimbursement will be limited
and must be supported by original
receipts. This requires that you sign
and complete a rental agreement
and meet state/provincial, local, and
rental vehicle provider requirements.
Requirements vary and may include
minimum age requirements,
insurance coverage, credit card,
etc. You are responsible for fuel
usage charges and may also be
responsible for taxes, levies, usage
fees, excessive mileage, or rental
usage beyond the completion of the
repair.

It may not be possible to provide a
like-vehicle as a courtesy rental.

Customer Information

11-9

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional Program
Information

All program options, such as shuttle
service, may not be available at
every retailer. Please contact your
retailer for specific information
about availability. All Courtesy
Transportation arrangements will
be administered by appropriate
retailer personnel.

Saturn reserves the right to
unilaterally modify, change or
discontinue Courtesy Transportation
at any time and to resolve all
questions of claim eligibility pursuant
to the terms and conditions
described herein at its sole
discretion.

Collision Damage Repair

If your vehicle is involved in a
collision and it is damaged, have
the damage repaired by a qualified
technician using the proper
equipment and quality replacement
parts. Poorly performed collision
repairs diminish your vehicle’s resale
value, and safety performance can
be compromised in subsequent
collisions.

Collision Parts

Genuine GM Collision parts are new
parts made with the same materials
and construction methods as the
parts with which your vehicle was
originally built. Genuine GM Collision
parts are your best choice to ensure
that your vehicle’s designed
appearance, durability, and safety
are preserved. The use of Genuine
GM parts can help maintain your
GM New Vehicle Warranty.

Recycled original equipment parts
may also be used for repair. These
parts are typically removed from
vehicles that were total losses in
prior crashes. In most cases, the
parts being recycled are from
undamaged sections of the vehicle.
A recycled original equipment GM
part, may be an acceptable choice to
maintain your vehicle’s originally
designed appearance and safety
performance, however, the history of
these parts is not known. Such parts
are not covered by your GM New
Vehicle Limited Warranty, and any
related failures are not covered by
that warranty.

Aftermarket collision parts are
also available. These are made
by companies other than GM and
may not have been tested for
your vehicle. As a result, these
parts may fit poorly, exhibit
premature durability/corrosion
problems, and may not perform
properly in subsequent collisions.

11-10

Customer Information

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aftermarket parts are not covered
by your GM New Vehicle Limited
Warranty, and any vehicle failure
related to such parts are not covered
by that warranty.

Repair Facility

We recommend that you choose a
collision repair facility that meets
your needs before you ever need
collision repairs. Your dealer/retailer
may have a collision repair center
with GM-trained technicians and
state of the art equipment, or be
able to recommend a collision
repair center that has GM-trained
technicians and comparable
equipment.

Insuring Your Vehicle

Protect your investment in your GM
vehicle with comprehensive and
collision insurance coverage.
There are significant differences in
the quality of coverage afforded
by various insurance policy terms.

Many insurance policies provide
reduced protection to your GM
vehicle by limiting compensation for
damage repairs by using aftermarket
collision parts. Some insurance
companies will not specify
aftermarket collision parts.
When purchasing insurance, we
recommend that you assure your
vehicle will be repaired with GM
original equipment collision parts.
If such insurance coverage is not
available from your current insurance
carrier, consider switching to another
insurance carrier.

If your vehicle is leased, the leasing
company may require you to have
insurance that assures repairs with
Genuine GM Original Equipment
Manufacturer (OEM) parts or
Genuine Manufacturer replacement
parts. Read your lease carefully, as
you may be charged at the end of
your lease for poor quality repairs.

If a Crash Occurs

Here is what to do if you are
involved in a crash.

•

Check to make sure that you are
all right. If you are uninjured,
make sure that no one else in
your vehicle, or the other vehicle,
is injured.

•

If there has been an injury, call
emergency services for help.
Do not leave the scene of a
crash until all matters have been
taken care of. Move your vehicle
only if its position puts you in
danger or you are instructed to
move it by a police officer.

•

Give only the necessary and
requested information to police
and other parties involved in
the crash. Do not discuss your
personal condition, mental frame
of mind, or anything unrelated to
the crash. This will help guard
against post-crash legal action.

Customer Information

11-11

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

•

If you need roadside assistance,
call GM Roadside Assistance.
See Roadside Assistance
Program on page 11-5 for more
information.

•

If your vehicle cannot be driven,
know where the towing service
will be taking it. Get a card from
the tow truck operator or write
down the driver’s name, the
service’s name, and the phone
number.

•

Remove any valuables from your
vehicle before it is towed away.
Make sure this includes your
insurance information and
registration if you keep these
items in your vehicle.

•

Gather the important information
you will need from the other
driver. Things like name, address,
phone number, driver’s license
number, vehicle license plate,
vehicle make, model and model
year, Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN), insurance

company and policy number, and
a general description of the
damage to the other vehicle.

•

If possible, call your insurance
company from the scene of the
crash. They will walk you through
the information they will need. If
they ask for a police report, phone
or go to the police department
headquarters the next day and
you can get a copy of the report
for a nominal fee. In some
states/provinces with “no fault”
insurance laws, a report may not
be necessary. This is especially
true if there are no injuries and
both vehicles are drivable.

•

Choose a reputable collision
repair facility for your vehicle.
Whether you select a dealer/
retailer or a private collision repair
facility to fix the damage, make
sure you are comfortable with
them. Remember, you will have to
feel comfortable with their work for
a long time.

•

Once you have an estimate, read
it carefully and make sure you
understand what work will be
performed on your vehicle. If you
have a question, ask for an
explanation. Reputable shops
welcome this opportunity.

Managing the Vehicle Damage
Repair Process

In the event that your vehicle
requires damage repairs, GM
recommends that you take an
active role in its repair. If you have
a pre-determined repair facility of
choice, take your vehicle there, or
have it towed there. Specify to the
facility that any required replacement
collision parts be original equipment
parts, either new Genuine GM parts
or recycled original GM parts.
Remember, recycled parts will not
be covered by your GM vehicle
warranty.

11-12

Customer Information

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Insurance pays the bill for the
repair, but you must live with
the repair. Depending on your policy
limits, your insurance company
may initially value the repair using
aftermarket parts. Discuss this
with your repair professional,
and insist on Genuine GM parts.
Remember if your vehicle is leased
you may be obligated to have
the vehicle repaired with Genuine
GM parts, even if your insurance
coverage does not pay the full cost.

If another party’s insurance
company is paying for the repairs,
you are not obligated to accept a
repair valuation based on that
insurance company’s collision
policy repair limits, as you have no
contractual limits with that company.
In such cases, you can have control
of the repair and parts choices as
long as cost stays within reasonable
limits.

Reporting Safety
Defects

Reporting Safety Defects
to the United States
Government

If you believe that your vehicle
has a defect which could cause a
crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), in addition to notifying
Saturn Corporation.

If NHTSA receives similar
complaints, it could open an
investigation, and if it finds that
a safety defect exists in a group
of vehicles, it could order a
recall and remedy campaign.

However, NHTSA cannot
become involved in individual
problems between you, your
retailer or Saturn Corporation.

To contact NHTSA, call the
Vehicle Safety Hotline toll-free
at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY:
1-800-424-9153); go to
safercar.gov; or
write to:

Administrator, NHTSA
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington D.C., 20590

You can also obtain other
information about motor
vehicle safety from
safercar.gov.

Customer Information

11-13

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reporting Safety Defects
to the Canadian
Government

If you live in Canada, and you
believe that your vehicle has
a safety defect, notify Transport
Canada immediately, in addition to
notifying General Motors of
Canada Limited. Call them at
1-800-333-0510 or write to:

Transport Canada
Road Safety Branch
2780 Sheffield Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1B 3V9

Reporting Safety Defects
to Saturn

In addition to notifying NHTSA (or
Transport Canada) in a situation like
this, please notify Saturn.

Call 1-800-553-6000, or write:

Saturn Corporation
100 Saturn Parkway
Mail Drop 371-999-S24
Spring Hill, TN 37174-1500

In Canada, call 1-800-263-1999, or
write:

Saturn Customer Communication
Centre
General Motors of Canada Limited
CA1-163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7

Service Publications
Ordering Information

Service Manuals

A variety of publications are
available to you. Saturn service
manuals are written for trained
technicians, and in some cases,
specialized tools and equipment are
necessary to complete certain
repairs. However, the manuals are
available to owners who either
have the training, or wish to gain a
greater understanding of the
technical aspect of their Saturn.

For additional publications
information or to order publications
in the United States, call toll
free 1-800-2-SATURN or visit
www.saturn-publications.com to
order on-line.

In Canada, Saturn service manuals
are available by calling toll free
1-800-551-4123.

11-14

Customer Information

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Owner Publications

Information on how to obtain
product bulletins and as described
below is applicable only in the
fifty U.S. states and the District
of Columbia, and only for cars and
light trucks with a Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) less
than 10,000 pounds (4 536 kg).
Copies of individual bulletins
are also at your participating Saturn
retailer. You can ask to see them.

In Canada, information relating
to product service bulletins can
be obtained by contacting your
Saturn retailer.

Service Bulletins

Saturn regularly sends its retailers
useful service bulletins about Saturn
products. Saturn monitors product
performance in the field. We then
prepare bulletins for servicing our
products better. You can get these
bulletins, too.

Bulletins cover various subjects.
Some pertain to the proper use and
care of your vehicle. Some describe
costly repairs. Others describe
inexpensive repairs which, if done on
time with the latest parts, may avoid
future costly repairs.

Some bulletins tell a technician how
to repair a new or unexpected
condition. Others describe a quicker
way to fix your vehicle. They can
help a technician service your
vehicle better.

Most bulletins apply to conditions
affecting a small number of vehicles.
Your Saturn retailer or a qualified
technician may have to determine
if a specific bulletin applies to
your vehicle. To order Saturn
bulletins, call Saturn Publications
at 1-800-2-SATURN or visit
saturn-publications.com to order
online.

Vehicle Data
Recording and
Privacy

Your Saturn vehicle has a number of
sophisticated computers that record
information about the vehicle’s
performance and how it is driven.
For example, your vehicle uses
computer modules to monitor and
control engine and transmission
performance, to monitor the
conditions for airbag deployment and
deploy airbags in a crash and, if so
equipped, to provide antilock braking
to help the driver control the vehicle.
These modules may store data to
help your dealer/retailer technician
service your vehicle. Some modules
may also store data about how you
operate the vehicle, such as rate of
fuel consumption or average speed.
These modules may also retain the
owner’s personal preferences, such
as radio pre-sets, seat positions, and
temperature settings.

Customer Information

11-15

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Event Data Recorders

This vehicle has an Event
Data Recorder (EDR). The main
purpose of an EDR is to record, in
certain crash or near crash-like
situations, such as an airbag
deployment or hitting a road
obstacle, data that will assist in
understanding how a vehicle’s
systems performed. The EDR is
designed to record data related
to vehicle dynamics and safety
systems for a short period of time,
typically 30 seconds or less.

The EDR in this vehicle is designed
to record such data as:

•

How various systems in your
vehicle were operating

•

Whether or not the driver and
passenger safety belts were
buckled/fastened

•

How far, if at all, the driver was
pressing the accelerator and/or
brake pedal

•

How fast the vehicle was
traveling

This data can help provide a better
understanding of the circumstances
in which crashes and injuries occur.

Important: EDR data is recorded
by your vehicle only if a non-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data is
recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal
data (e.g., name, gender, age,
and crash location) is recorded.
However, other parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the
EDR data with the type of personally
identifying data routinely acquired
during a crash investigation.

To read data recorded by an EDR,
special equipment is required,
and access to the vehicle or the
EDR is needed. In addition to
the vehicle manufacturer, other
parties, such as law enforcement,
that have the special equipment, can
read the information if they have
access to the vehicle or the EDR.

11-16

Customer Information

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturn will not access this data or
share it with others except: with the
consent of the vehicle owner or,
if the vehicle is leased, with the
consent of the lessee; in response
to an official request of police or
similar government office; as part
of Saturn’s defense of litigation
through the discovery process; or,
as required by law. Data that Saturn
collects or receives may also be
used for Saturn research needs or
may be made available to others for
research purposes, where a need is
shown and the data is not tied to a
specific vehicle or vehicle owner.

OnStar

If your vehicle has OnStar and you
subscribe to the OnStar services,
please refer to the OnStar
Terms and Conditions for
information on data collection and
use. See also OnStar

System

on page 4-38 in this manual
for more information.

Navigation System

If your vehicle has a navigation
system, use of the system may
result in the storage of destinations,
addresses, telephone numbers, and
other trip information. Refer to the
navigation system operating manual
for information on stored data and for
deletion instructions.

Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID)

RFID technology is used in some
vehicles for functions such as
tire pressure monitoring and ignition
system security, as well as in
connection with conveniences such
as key fobs for remote door
locking/unlocking and starting, and
in-vehicle transmitters for garage
door openers. RFID technology in
Saturn vehicles does not use
or record personal information or
link with any other Saturn system
containing personal information.

Customer Information

11-17

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturn Astra (2008 year). Manual - part 18